—Nikki Turner

Maybe because he hadn’t gotten into a fist fight in a while, and it just seemed like the right thing to do, Pete Doherty has decided that Babyshambles needs to make a “comeback album” to show Oasis what’s up and take their place as Britain’s top band.

Doherty told NME.com that he was impressed by Oasis’ most recent album, Dig Out Your Soul — so impressed that he wants to one-up it and make an even better LP.

“With Oasis stepping up a gear and proving they’ve still got it, they need to be shown there are people out there who can surpass them,” Doherty said. “Can we match them? The quality is good [in Oasis], but there really is no competition because my band is the greatest in the world and we’re going to prove it.”

Of course, then when the chips were really on the table Doherty wasn’t so sure any more. NME asked him when we should all pencil in to our calendars to run out and buy this new album, and he seemed unsure. “It’s record company politics, ” he said. “Please, let it happen as soon as possible.”

Please, for all of us. Please.

Lee Mavers of The La’s must have had a great time with Pete Doherty on his recent solo tour. The Liverpool songwriter has asked Doherty’s band Babyshambles to be his backing band on his band’s new record.

Babyshambles’ drummer Adam Ficek confirmed the possible collaboration, telling NME that Mavers thoroughly enjoyed playing with the group and asked about collaborating with them.

“He said how much he loved what we do, how we play, how we look,” said Ficek. “Then Peter said Lee wants us to be his backing band.” According to Ficek, he is not sure what direction the project will go in, but Lee has a bunch of new material and Ficek is excited about it.

The La’s have worked with a variety of different guitarists and drummers, so adding Ficek and Doherty into the pool might give the band the extra push it needs to put out a stellar new album. The La’s haven’t released a record since 1990’s The La’s, which was their first and only full length studio release.

If you happen to see Pete Doherty today, you should wish him a happy birthday. The former Libertines frontman turns 30 today and he’s celebrating by releasing his first solo album, Grace/Wastelands. We’ve got the first single, “New Love Grows on Trees.”

In the last year of his 20s, Pete managed to sell out his show at London’s Royal Albert Hall and exhibit artwork in Paris. Grace/Wasteland, the first major endeavor of his 30s, features his Babyshambles bandmates as well as Blur’s Graham Coxon, who Doherty said ended up playing on most of the tracks.

[Grace/Wasteland cover]

Pete Doherty – “New Love Grows On Trees”

The infamous Pete Doherty kicked off his solo UK tour last night at a sold-out Shockwaves NME Awards show in London last night. Doherty was joined by a plethera of guests, including Graham Coxon, once-again of Blur, who also plays guitar on Doherty’s new solo album Grace/Wastelands. Doherty was also joined on stage by his Babysambles‘ mates, Drew McConnell and Adam Ficek, as well as esteemed music producer Stephen Street, singer Dot Allison, and guitarist John Robinson.

Doherty, formerly of The Libertines, played a wide variety of classics for the star-packed audience, (Attendees included Roger Daltrey of The Who), ranging from Libertines’ hits like “What a Waster”, “Time for Heroes”, and “Music When The Lights Go Out”, where his Babyshambles band mates played along as a string trio. Coxon also aided Doherty as he played acoustic renditions of songs off his up and coming album, which is due out March 9, and was recorded with Stephen Street last fall.

Since we’re now in the business of reporting rumors, let’s get the ball rolling on a Libertines reunion at Coachella this year too. I mean, if Pete Doherty’s going to start acting like a working musician again, can cracking US Immigration laws be far off?

Revealed exclusively this morning on NME, the album — the title of which the Babyshambles man is yet to decide — will be released on March 9, with a single, “Last Of The English Roses”, to be released on March 2.

According to NME, The album was recorded with producer Stephen Street in London’s Olympic Studios in autumn last year. Blur guitarist Graham Coxon plays guitar on all songs apart from “Broken Love Song”. Singer Dot Allison performs co-vocals on “Sheepskin Tearaway”, while Doherty’s Babyshambles band mates Mik Whitnall, Adam Ficek and Drew McConnell also play on the album.

Pete Doherty’s solo album track listing
01. Arcadie
02. Last Of The English Roses
03. 1939 Returning
04. A Little Death Around The Eyes
05. Salome
06. Through The Looking Glass
07. Sweet By And By
08. Palace Of Bone
09. Sheepskin Tearaway
10. Broken Love Song
11. New Love Grows On Trees
12. Lady, Don’t Fall Backwards